1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an extruder die and cutter assembly for extruding filled food pieces. More particularly, the present invention relates to an extruder die and cutter assembly which includes an extension formed on an extrusion member and a filling tube for allowing the extrudate to exit the die and cutter assembly from the side.
2. Description of Related Art
Extruders for producing extruded food pieces are known. Such extruders can conventionally include a pressure vessel for containing, under pressure, a mash of the food to be extruded. Furthermore, pressure exerting means for maintaining pressure in the pressure vessel, a manifold in fluid communication with the pressure vessel, and a die and cutter assembly, generally located underneath the pressure vessel, in fluid communication with the manifold can be included. The extruded food is cut to size by a die and cutter assembly.
Food products that can be extruded in such extruders include, e.g., meats, poultry, seafood, cereal grains, vegetables, fruits, and solid dairy products. As specific examples, the mash may be prepared from beef, chicken, shrimp, wheat, corn, rice, potatoes, apples, and cheese.
The food is ground to a particle size consistent with forming a fluid mash, e.g., particle sizes that will pass through a U.S. Screen Series No. 5 screen, more usually a No. 10 screen, and often a No. 20 screen up to about a No. 100 screen.
Water or other dispersing liquids, e.g., 3% to 70%, may be added to the ground food in order to produce a liquid mash. Binders, flavors, preservatives, colors, stabilizers, antioxidants, and the like may be added to the mash, in conventional amounts. Most often, a gelling material is added to the mash, e.g., a settable gum or pectate, for example, guar gum and sodium alginate, in conventional amounts of about 0.1% to 25%. The gum or pectate is set by a gelling agent, e.g., a 0.5% to 10% solution of calcium chloride and sodium alginate.
Industry has not yet, however, made great progress in providing an extruded foodstuff containing a filling.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an extruder die and cutter assembly which makes up for the above deficiencies of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an extruder die and cutter assembly which includes an extruded product having a filling.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an extruder die and cutter assembly which includes extensions formed on the extrusion member and the filling tube to allow for the extrudate to exit the die and cutter assembly from the side.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an extrusion die and cutter assembly having a cutting member for cooperating with the extrusion member to cut and crimp the extrudate exiting the die and cutter assembly to form food products of a predetermined length.
In order to accomplish the above objects of the present invention, a die and cutter assembly for an extruder for producing an extruded food piece containing a filling has been provided. The die and cutter assembly includes an elongated annular extrusion member with an extrusion wall formed on a first end thereof, a closed extrusion end formed adjacent said extrusion wall, and an opened feed end formed on a second, opposite end of said elongated annular extrusion member attachable in fluid communication with a manifold of the extruder. Furthermore, a filling tube extends into the elongated annular extrusion member and includes an extension formed on the elongated annular extrusion member substantially at a right angle thereto. A tube extension is formed on the filling tube substantially at a right angle thereto and located within the extension of the elongated annular extrusion member. In addition, an extrusion die is formed on the extension of the elongated annular extrusion member and a cutter member having an opened driveable end, an elongated cutter wall, and an opened cutter end with a cutting surface for cutting extrudate to a desired length as the extrudate exits the die is disposed at least partially over and reciprocally slideable on the extrusion wall and operably connectable at the driveable end to a drive device for reciprocatably sliding the cutter member over and away from the extrusion die.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.